Ethiopia is a Platinum Sponsor for the Largest Gathering of Coffee Professionals in the World

Mike Ferguson

April 10 2009

April 16th–19th, Ethiopia will welcome the world of coffee to Atlanta, Georgia, as a Platinum sponsor of Specialty Coffee Association of America’s (SCAA) 21st Annual Exposition.

The Place Where It All Began

Representatives from the Ethiopia coffee industry say that due to their success as the first African Portrait Country at the SCAA Exposition in Minneapolis in 2008, and a widely recognized trademarking and licensing initiative, Ethiopia’s annual coffee export earnings increased by more than 100 million US dollars in 2008. Inspired by this accomplishment, the Ethiopian coffee industry is coming to Atlanta to share their fine coffee story—a story that for centuries has been so intertwined with Ethiopia’s unique culture and society.

Ethiopia, the birthplace of the cherished bean, boasts a genetic pool of more than 6,000 varieties, including its natural decaffeinated coffee, and still keeps secrets in its rainforests for future generations. After sitting on the sidelines of the global economy for decades, Ethiopia’s coffee industry is emerging as a force to be reckoned with. And the rewards are starting to trickle down to the people who deserve them the most, the farmers who toil from dawn to dusk growing the beans that make their country proud. With this objective in mind, the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange (ECX) was established in March 2008 to modernize the trading system. The ECX, based on standard coffee contracts, establishes standard parameters for coffee grades, transaction size, payment and delivery, and trading order matching while, at the same time, preserving the distinctiveness of the different coffees.

The new Ethiopian Fine Coffee umbrella logo, a glowing sun with rays of light emanating from an Ethiopian coffee bean, heralds the renaissance of the Ethiopian coffee industry and the bright future ahead. Ethiopia invites attendees and press to visit booth (#551) and enjoy a traditional coffee ceremony where you will experience the heavenly aromatic scents and distinct flavors of fine Ethiopian coffees.

For information about the SCAA Exposition: http://www.scaaexposition.org/default.aspx.

About the SCAA
The SCAA is the world’s largest coffee trade association dedicated to creating a vibrant specialty coffee community. Celebrating 26 years of success, our members represent more than forty countries and every segment of the Specialty Coffee industry. www.scaa.org.